The Library Reads – “When the Snow Comes, They Will Take You Away” by Eric Newby

“When the Snow Comes, They Will Take You Away” by Eric Newby is a vivid first-person account of adventure during WWII. The authorEric Newby, as a very young British officer, was a prisoner of war in Italy. He escaped in the chaos following the Italian surrender in the late summer of 1943, and spent the winter on the run from the Germans. The humanity and compassion of the Italian peasants is unforgettable, scratching for a living while stashing away food for a lone Englishman at grave risk of Nazi retaliation, yet revealing an uncanny intelligence beyond fiction at several turns. This book depicts an unusual currency in human affairs, where the dollar holds no sway to common decency and suffering in the most barren regions. The book is a thriller, a love story, and a tribute to the brave generosity of the many local partisans who helped Newby survive.

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